CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) has voluntarily recalled specific lots of dry pet food because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. These lots were distributed in the United States and represent roughly one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) of annual production. No Salmonella-related illnesses have been reported to date in association with these product lots.

Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

snip

This issue is limited to the specific dry pet food lot codes listed below. This affects roughly one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) of total annual production. The affected product was distributed to select retailers across the United States. These products were made during a 10-day window at a single manufacturing site. P&Gs routine testing determined that some products made during this timeframe have the potential for Salmonella contamination. As a precautionary measure, P&G is recalling the potentially impacted products made during this timeframe. No other dry dog food, dry cat food, dog or cat canned wet food, biscuits/treats or supplements are affected by this announcement.

P&G is retrieving these products as a precautionary measure. Consumers who purchased a product listed below should stop using the product and discard it and contact P&G toll-free at 800-208-0172 (Monday  Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM ET), or via website at www.iams.com or www.eukanuba.com. Media Contact: Jason Taylor, 513-622-1111.

Hmmm, Iams and Eukanuba once again. Will this be a repeat of 2007? That was horrible. A lot of cats & dogs died from that.
Wasn’t it made in China?
I’m so glad my dog & cat don’t eat this food. I specifically avoid Iams because of that recall in 2007.

*snicker* Thanks for the laugh. I think you might be surprised at how much they love even a slice of prepackaged sliced fish that smells clearly a few days beyond the expiration date. Happened here not too long ago when I was going to throw out the incredibly smelly package and happened to notice the cat staring intently at the it then deliberately enguaging in an obvious and huge lick across the lips as I did so.

5
posted on 08/16/2013 6:49:28 PM PDT
by Utilizer
(Bacon A'kbar! - In world today are only peaceful people, and the mooslimbs trying to kill them-)

I catch fish all the time, trout, and she won’t touch them no matter how long they are around. She did go through a phase where she went kinda apesh** for used Old Spice underarm deodorant. I still have scars...

Noted, and thanks for the image. *grin* I used to try to tempt with tiny bits of chopped fresh trout, halibut, salmon, or even slivers of crab or shrimp, and nothing.

Wound up in the hospital some time back and after I returned was cleaning out the refrigerator when I came across a package of salmon filet that had turned grey and was just on the edge of being too stomach-turning to view when I noticed the cat suddenly right there at My feet staring intently at the package with deliberately-licked lips all the while.

I had never before seen a cat standing as far as they could on their hind legs to gobble up the finely chopped fish from out of someone's hand before it even got close to the floor. I separated the flesh from the skin and fed only that as an offer, and was really quite nervous at the eagerness to get it being displayed, but I did not lose a finger or get clawed and I was amazed at how much fish was eaten that night!

11
posted on 08/16/2013 7:25:14 PM PDT
by Utilizer
(Bacon A'kbar! - In world today are only peaceful people, and the mooslimbs trying to kill them-)

Isn’t THAT the truth! (Unless the vet is a holistic/integrative vet in which case he/she has probably studied nutrition from an objective source — not the little bit they get in vet school - sponsored by the pet food industry.) Soooooo glad we feed raw!! (What the FDA allows in kibble and canned pet food is a CRIME!)

There are some websites by holistic vets who give tips on how to introduce raw to animals (very slowly for dogs to prevent digestive upset), and over a longer period of time for cats because they get “addicted” (literally!) to what they are fed....refusing all else. Takes time and patience but it’s possible to do. For cats, check out littlebigcat.com (Dr. Jean Hofve’s site/blog) and for pet issues in general: healthypets.mercola.com (Dr. Karen Becker). She has great articles on feeding and her book “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” is our raw feeding guide. The key is not to give up. It can take months to get cats to switch, but it can be done —dogs generally take less time because they are “scavengers” by nature and will eat most anything. Hope that helps!

Thank you very much. I have been trying for the longest time to manage to switch to raw foods, but still no success. I still have nightmares from the last big scare when so many pets were dying from the poisoning and the chinese manufacturor seemed not to understand what all the fuss was about.

Then again it is still painful to Me to remember about how several years ago a particular type of furry cat toy was becoming so popular with pet owners. Then one of the big three did an expos-e undercover video of a worker in a chiniese factory throwing tied up live cats into a huge pot of boiling water to fish them out later for the skins to make the furry toys.

Just broke My heart to hear about that.

19
posted on 08/16/2013 8:45:00 PM PDT
by Utilizer
(Bacon A'kbar! - In world today are only peaceful people, and the mooslimbs trying to kill them-)

I think you will see a HUGE difference if you switch to raw. We wouldn’t do anything else. We used to think that if we went “high end” enough on kibble we were still feeding a good food. The problem is that a natural species-appropriate food consists of 70% moisture. It’s no coincidence that many pets are dying of kidney failure, and UTI-related issues considering that most are on kibble — and living in a state of chronic dehydration (this according to vet Karen Becker). Kibble has been cooked twice — and because it’s so highly processed must have the nutrition sprayed back on. Consider that while the raw food pet food companies (Bravo, Answer, etc...) are held to a USDA meat requirement standard — there is a “compliance policy” which the FDA follows regarding kibble and canned foods: i.e. any diseased or dying animal can be rendered and put into this “food” as long as it’s “not otherwise adulterated”. We have seen chronic issues (IBD, ear infections, etc...) disappear with feeding raw — and our 14 year old acts about 1/3 her age. I’m grateful to the vet who told us in no uncertain terms “If you’re serious about wellness you need to feed raw”. Yes, I understand that doesn’t sit well with those feeding kibble or canned, but their argument isn’t with me it’s with the vets who see and treat chronic ailments (dental disease, kidney disease, chronic allergies, ear infections, etc...) with increasing regularity. It’s not coincidence that the rise in “convenience feeding” has accompanied a rise in chronic and serious health issues with animals. Yep, it’s raw for us. We’ve seen too much to go back to sub-par health. Best wishes on your quest!

Why would we? Raw meat has no carcinogens and as long as the proper balance of bone, organ meat and muscle meat are present there is no issue. Hide, hair and feathers have no nutritional value (unless one buys the argument put forth by Royal Canin which is now advocating the “nutritional value” of “feather meal”.)

When I read this article, I ran to the kitchen and read the fine print on that big bag of Pedigree that I bought for my Wolfie Dog. I was relieved to see that it’s not made by Proctor & Gamble. I don’t want to have to take him to the vet, because they soak you. A few months ago I got scared and took him to the vet because he acted like his ears were hurting. They charged me 150 bucks for an exam and a prescription for doggie ear wash, because he just had a bunch of crud up in his ears. If I had known that, I could have probably bought that ear wash at the drug store for ten bucks.

29
posted on 08/16/2013 9:50:25 PM PDT
by jespasinthru
(Proud member of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy.)

I would suspect they were feeding raw meaty bones to an excessive extent or were feeding to dogs who “gulped”. There is nothing to fear from feeding raw. When I see dogs cooking their food to death over a fire — then I’ll start to worry! Dogs have a short digestive system (as I’m sure you know) — and everything gets a nice acid bath before being digested. Salmonella and other bacteria are not a problem — unless the dog is severely immune-compromised. It’s sad the amount of disinformation that people have been told by way of the PFI and those vets which shill for them. There is nothing “dangerous” about feeding a species-appropriate food and everything to gain. Of course, it needs to be balanced and done correctly, but that’s true with most things. Raw bones are rarely a problem — but if one feeds hard herbivore bones unsupervised they can fracture teeth. Likewise if the animal does not know how to chew a bone and “gulps” it, that’s where the problems begin (or if they are fed cooked bones). I taught my Chow how to chew any bony meats — holding one end and forcing him to chew it up as he went. Yes, the skin is still on it. He does fine on them, but they are usually fed with muscle and organ meat. It’s the only 100 year old tradition of kibble which is the “fad” and it’s done irreparable harm to domestic animals: increased instances of chronic and fatal illnesses, increased UTI and kidney diseases, allergies, cancers, weakened immune systems, dehydration, obesity and rotten teeth to name but a few.

It might interest you to know that dog health insurers do not cover any illness/injury caused by “raw food diets”.

When I first got insurance 4 years ago, I asked about that exclusion.

The answer; too many claims.

They consider those claims to be an “avoidable illness” which are not covered.

That’s why I have to practice pro-active health measures such as dental cleaning, vaccines, etc.

Case in point, Odin recently racked up quite a bill over a what turned out to be just a stomach bug.
They paid me back 90% of my vet bills.
Had he been on raw or BARF, they would not have paid me a dime.

“Youre probably aware your dogs ancestors and counterparts in the wild have been eating bones forever.
Canines in their natural habitat eat prey, including the meat, bones and stomach contents. In fact, your pup has a biological requirement for the nutrients found in bone marrow and the bones themselves.”

What is the average lifespan of a wild canid?

How much longer do our dogs live, on the average, than they did even just 20 years ago?

Did you even look at the link? No? It’s from a holistic vet who has studied nutrition beyond what the vet school provides (sponsored by the pet food industry). In the article she clearly outlines what “common sense” things should be considered when feeding raw bones (and for the record, not every raw feeder feeds raw bones — and not every raw feeder feeds RMBs which are recreational bones). It is a false canard that wolves live shorter lives because of diet (seriously??) and attempting to make some comparison there between captivity (where, by the way, they are STILL fed a raw diet so there goes that analysis) and domestic pets who are (on average) living longer but not healthier because of their diets and have chronic ailments many of which are fatal and cause many pet owners to euthanize or engage in high maintenance with dangerous drugs. That’s your idea of “healthier”???? Not mine.

I would recommend that ANYONE going to a raw diet (and I would absolutely recommend it!) — do proper research first. That doesn’t mean going to an online layperson’s forum or a yahoo blog where anyone and everyone can put in their .02. What it DOES require is due diligence by reading from qualified sources who have done THEIR due diligence: holistic/homeopathic vets for the most part since the average traditional vet got very little education on nutrition. Common sense is key. Far too many “raw feeders” get excited, throw their dog a whole chicken and walk off and then are surprised when there’s an issue. Ditto for those feeding bone marrow to dogs with pancreatitis. Frankly in this day and age I’m astonished that anyone would consider it riskier to feed something natural like raw food over highly processed bags of aflatoxins, phenobarbital, etc... There’s a far greater risk — as the 2007 recalls showed — in putting one’s trust in the pet food industry to provide a quality food. The FDA doesn’t outlaw things from the 4 D in pet foods.

Salamander, I have enjoyed your posts on many issues and we agree on much. On this one we will have to agree to disagree. I understand the resistance to feeding raw because I used to be there. Thankfully I am no longer there — but it took me a long time to get over my fears and I had to go gradually down that path. Even then I was bombarded with a lot of “well-meaning” nonsense that had no basis in truth — mostly from the vet community. Thankfully we used our eyes, ears, and God-given common sense. I did my research and we saw the results in our dog’s health. We had thought they were healthy on kibble before, but did not know how healthy they could be until we went raw. There are some things we do not feed — but there are many ways to “feed raw” and not all of it involves feeding bones. Some feed ground bones, some whole, and some not at all. Some feed RMB’s, some, like us, do not — but it is counterintuitive to believe that feeding food prepared who knows when under the current FDA compliance policy is healthier in any way to feeding whole, fresh food. There is a scientist (whose name I forget but I could find it if I had the time) who has been researching carcinogens in human food. He discovered that they can be evidenced in hair. He pulled hairs from his kibble-fed dogs and found carcinogens present that were off the chart: a non-issue in raw meat. No, he doesn’t feed raw and he has no “agenda” in terms of trying to convince others to do so. Interesting.

Our mutt (black lab/great dane/??) has been diagnosed to be allergic to all sorts of grains, some meat, etc. Pretty much all of the filler material in dog food. My wife takes care of all that so I don’t recall all the details, but I know his food is some special stuff now. He also had/has some odd-ball ear infection. And the only antibiotic that will work on it is back-ordered for years (it’s for humans as well). It is better, but I think still there.

And now he is showing other skin irritations as well. Might just be allergies from running in the weeds though. Are there other things we should be on the lookout for with his ear “gunk”?

44
posted on 08/16/2013 11:40:41 PM PDT
by 21twelve
("We've got the guns, and we got the numbers" adapted and revised from Jim M.)

They are beautiful babies for sure, Salamander! I’ve been so thrilled with our 14 year old’s recovery from IBD and the cessation of her chronic ear issues — and our Chow mix’s thick lush coat (poor baby was in awful shape when we pulled him out of the apt. where he’d been abandoned: flea eggs, greasy coat and the consistency of a straw broom. Awful.) He was always panicky when it was meal time when we were feeding kibble, but he’s satisfied now and doesn’t gulp his food down in a frenzy. Blessings to you and yours, Salamander. I consider you my dear FRiend and treasure the convos we’ve had. I pray your sorrow has lessened somewhat since your precious Halla’s passing (hope I’m spelling her name correctly), that you have peace and rest in the knowledge you will see her again, and that all of your furbabies are healthy and happy with no sign of problems!

There are still moments when the sorrow is too much but you know, an odd little blue-black butterfly has taken up residence since she left us and seems to be making a point of following me around when I’m outside.

It’s just the color she was and in spite of my lifelong ‘way with critters’, I’ve never had a butterfly decide it was going to land on me and ride around, especially not as a habit.

I take it as a sign from God that Halla is happy and well, somewhere and truth be told, it does remind me so much of her and her happy, reckless, ‘loopy’ way of running.

I’m sure she knows (like many of us) that most Purina food is loaded with cheap additives like corn in order to expand profit margins at the expense of our pet’s health. Most vets (like doctors) are ‘compensated’ for their endorsements and testimonials.

50
posted on 08/17/2013 4:36:58 AM PDT
by who knows what evil?
(G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.